Hope Lutheran Church Started as a Mission Congregation

Hope Lutheran started as a mission congregation in 1958 with a church on the north side of Fargo. Through the years we began to outgrow this facility. Based on this trend and seeing a lot of growth on the south side of Fargo, we added a new worship opportunity in a school on the south side of Fargo in the fall of 1992. This new gathering experienced rapid growth and by 1995 we were averaging nearly 500 people every Sunday. With solid support and continued growth of our core membership attending our North Campus, we celebrated the opening of our South Campus on Christmas Eve, 1995.

We emphasize our unity between the two campuses by serving one congregation at two locations. Even though we have two campuses, we are served by the same staff, led by one leadership team and work together in all ministries as one congregation.

Hope Lutheran Church currently has approximately 11,000 baptized members.

1958-2009

1958

Pastor Bud Roufs conducts first worship service, May 25

 

First Sunday School classes, September 7

1959

Add second worship service and Sunday School session

1961

Build education wing

1962

Begin holding three worship services and Sunday School sessions

1966

Pastor Frank Lee begins ministry (-1970)

1968

Construct "round" sanctuary, nursery and kitchen

1970

Pastor Darrel Gilbertson begins ministry (-1974)

 

Pastor John Elverum begins ministry (-1992)

1974

Pastor Roland Martinson begins ministry (-1977)

1975

Sponsor our first refugee family

 

Remodel education wing

1978

Pastor David Johnson begins ministry (-2006)

1979

Call first full-time youth director

1980

Hope is Alive Outside worship begins

1981

Pastor Paul Leslie begins ministry (-1984)

1982

Charter Hope Lutheran Foundation

 

TOT Sunday School begins in January

1983

Eric McIntyre begins Worship & Music ministry (-1998)

1984

Pastor Charles Olmstead begins ministry

1985

WINGS children's ministry begins

 

Hope Hangout for youth begins

1986

Marilyn Wahlgren joins office staff (named Business Administrator 1998)

1987

Dedicate Fellowship Center & nursery addition

 

Pastor Harvey Gilbertson begins visitation ministry (-1998)

 

Alternative worship service in Fellowship Center begins

1988

Begin missionary sponsorship

1990

Add second alternative service in Fellowship Center

 

Dedicate new pipe organ

 

Over 1000 children enroll in Sunday School

 

Bill Haaland is hired as head custodian

1991

JoEllen Solberg begins counseling ministry (-2001)

1992

John Coler is hired as Youth Ministry Director (-2004)

 

Pastor Tom Holtey begins ministry (-1998)

 

Hope South worship begins 10/13 at Centennial

 

Pastors Mark & Kathy Vitalis Hoffman begin ministry (-2002)

1993

Peggy Pepsin is hired for Confirmation Ministry

1994

Hope South Worship moves to Discovery School

 

"A Journey Called Hope" Capital Campaign begins

1995

Groundbreaking at Hope Lutheran - North & South Campuses

 

North Campus office wing is completed in October

 

First services at South Campus: Christmas Eve

1996

Church Council is reorganized to better serve ministry areas

 

Hope Lutheran is online at www.fargohope.org

 

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Project performed

 

Three morning worship services at South Campus

1997

Jackie Berndt is hired for Children's Ministry

 

Hans Vigesaa joins Youth Ministry staff (-2000)

 

Wednesday Night Faith Steps begins at South Campus

1998

Amy Vigesaa joins staff as Director of Worship and Music (-2000)

 

Pastor Robert L. Anderson begins visitation ministry

 

Friday Night Worship & Faith Steps begins at South Campus

 

Observe "40 Years of Hope"

1999

Pastor Steve Bakke begins ministry (-2002)

 

Alpha Course begins

 

Ann Seczko is named HopeCare Coordinator

 

North Campus services are all held in Sanctuary

 

hopekids.asp (after school program) begins at South Campus

2000

"Continuing the Journey Called Hope" Capital Campaign 

 

Phil Meyer joins staff as Director of Worship & Music (-2002)

 2001

Groundbreaking at South Campus 

 

Wednesday Worship & Faith Steps begins at North Campus

 

hopekids.asp (after school program) begins-North Campus 

 

Hope Preschool becomes part of Hope Lutheran's ministry

2002

Andria Messelt (Olson) joins Youth Ministry (relocates to Worship Arts in 2006) 

 

Jeremy Johnson joins Youth Ministry (-2007) 

 

Pastor Paul Nynas begins ministry

 

Julie Joyce Smith is named Director of Worship & Music        (-2006)

 

North Campus remodeling/updating is complete

 

South Campus Sanctuary addition is complete

 

First Annual HopeFest held

2003

Pastor Kevan Smith begins ministry

2004

Diane Nelson named Director of Women's Ministry (-2008)

 

Priscilla Smith named Hospitality Director for the North Campus

 

Hope Lutheran builds first Habitat for Humanity house

2005

Steve Sjoberg joins staff as Director of Communications and Technology

 

Sarah Seibold & Jacki Torfin (-2008) join Youth and Family Ministry

 

FUEL (Young Adult Worship) begins at South Campus

2006

CONNECT (5th & 6th grades) begins

 

Pastor Gary Clark begins visitation ministry

 

Pastor David Johnson retires

 

Pastor Charles Olmstead called as Senior Pastor

 

Hope Lutheran raised money to build a church and support AIDS treatment in the Central African Republic

2007

Grand Adults Ministry begins

 

Ben Land joins staff as Director of Media Ministries and FUEL Coordinator

 

Tom Frodsham is named Worship Arts Director (-2008)

 

Pastor Mike Toomey begins ministry

 

Bridgett Frodsham joins Youth Ministry (-2008)

 

Pastor Stephanie Tollefson begins ministry  

 

"Building Bridges to a Living Hope" Capital Campaign

 

Mark Proulx and Kathryn Kingsley (Knutzen) join Student Ministry

2008

Judy Siegle named Director of Women's Ministry

 

John Bedore named Worship Arts Director

 

Adam Voigt joins Student Ministry

2009

Asha Hertler joins staff as Director of Technology

 

Hopekids Ministry is launched

2010

Jessica Veiss joins Student Ministry

First Sanctuary 1958

First Sanctuary, North Campus 1958

Pastor Bud-Audrey Roufs

Pastor Bud & Audrey Roufs

Outdoor Worship

Outdoor Worship at the North Campus

Centennial School

Worship in South Fargo began at Centennial School in 1992

Discovery Center Worship 1995

Worship began at the South Campus in the Discovery Center in 1995

North Campus remodel

North Campus sanctuary was remodeled in 2002

South Campus Sanctuary

South Campus worship moved to the new sanctuary in 2002

Emmanuel Health Clinic

Support for the Central African Republic began in 2006. Central Temple in Bouar, C.A.R. was completed in 2007. Pictured is completed Emmanual Health Center in Gallo, C.A.R., dedicated January 2010.